Answers

I prefer using a simple equation published by the American Heart Association and cited in ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal (1). This formula is for calculating estimated caloric expenditure using METS:

The Compendium of Physical Activities provides MET values for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities as well as activities of daily living. (2) Table 11-6 in the ACE Personal Trainer Manual, 4th edition, also lists MET values for common light, moderate, and vigorous activities.

Let’s walk through an example for a 150 lb. (68 kg) woman who runs for 30 minutes at a 6 mph pace (10 METs).

This equation is not gender-specific. Keep in mind that many factors affect the number of calories burned by an individual in any given workout; thus, calculating energy expenditure offers an estimate of calories burned.